Adjustable machines of the vane type



1955 L. H BAGHUIS 3,209,699

ADJUSTABLE MACHINES OF THE VANE TYPE Filed April 13. 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR L uoovicus H BAGHUis ATTORNEY S Oct. 5, 1965 L. H. BAGHUIS 3,209,699

ADJUSTABLE MACHINES OF THE VANE TYPE Filed April 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.5'

1N VENTOR Luoawcus H BAcHuis ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()ifice 3,209,699 Patented Get. 5, 1965 3,209,699 ADJUSTABLE MACHINES OF THE VANE TYPE Ludovicus H. Baghuis, 7 Maria van Bourgondiesingel, s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Filed Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 447,821 Claims. (Cl. 103-120) The invention relates to an adjustable machine of the vane type comprising two relatively rotatable concentric main parts, which, together with end-shields attached to the end faces of the first main part, define a working chamber, the first one of said main parts being provided with an even number of equiangularly spaced radially movable vanes which divide the working chamber into sections and are adapted to be fixed in the adjusted positions and the second one thereof being provided with equiangularly spaced radially movable vanes cooperating with the vanes of the first main part to separate the sections of the working space from one another, in which the length of arc, through which the Working surface of each vane of the first main part facing the working chamber extends, and the angular distance of the vanes of the second main part are so designed as to guarantee that in each relative angular position of the two main parts and in each radial position of the vanes of the main parts each vane of the first main part is contacted by at least one vane of the second main part and in which the sections of the working chamber are alternately provided with a passage for the supply and a passage for the discharge of gaseous or liquid medium and the vanes of the first main part are interconnected by deformable guide members for guiding the vanes of the second main part in their course between the vanes of the first main part during the relative rotation of the two main parts.

In such a machine of the vane type it is possible to regulate gradually the yield or the pressure, if it works as a pump, or the torque and, at a constant supply of medium under pressure, the number of revolutions, if it works as a motor, between two values, say between the value Zero and a maximum value. In such a machine it is also very simple to reverse the operation of the machine while operating as a pump and being driven in one and the same direction or to reverse the direction of rotation while operating as a motor.

An adjustable machine of the vane type of this kind is known, in which the vanes of the first main part and the deformable guide members extending between these vanes form an integral wall member defining the working chamber at its periphery. In order to obtain a reliable seal between the sections of the working chamber at the operation under high pressure the tolerances of the relatively adjustable parts are very narrow, which makes the construction involved and expensive. The invention has for its object to provide a machine of the vane type of the kind referred to which is easy to construct and requires less accuracy of manufacture as to the deformable guide members. It is to be seen in that the deformable guide members for guiding the vanes of the second main part consist of guiding strips, which are provided outside the end planes of the working chamber in the end-shields and extend between and are connected with radially extending plates attached to the end faces of the vanes of the first main part, said guiding strips defining together with said plates at each end of the working chamber a deformable annular groove which is engaged by portions of the vanes of the second main part which project axially from the working chamber. The individual manufacture of the deformable guide members and the adjustable vanes of the first main part simplifies the construction of the machine.

Since the deformable guide members are only slightly loaded and do not require great accuracy they may be made without difficulty of synthetic material, such as nylon or Teflon, or of sinter-materials. If so, the deformable guiding strips and the radial plates connected therewith may form an integral member.

In order to make certain that the radial plates for the adjustment of the vanes of the first main part and the guiding strips are automatically adjusted in respect of each other in the right manner and are rigidly held in their adjusted positions against movement in both radial directions a construction of the machine is recommended, in which said plates are provided on axially outwards facing surfaces with unround ribs separated by grooves and engage with said ribs correspondingly unround grooves of turnable discs which are concentric to the main part and are adapted to be adjusted from the outside in a required angular position in respect of the first main part. A very convenient construction is obtained when the ribs and the grooves of the plates and the discs form parts of ellipses.

To elucidate the invention reference is made to the next description of two embodiments of an adjustable machine of the vane type according to the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is partly a cross-sectional view on the line I'I' in FIG. 2, partly a cross-sectional view on the line I"I" in FIG. 2 and partly an end View of the first embodiment of said machine,

FIG. 2 is partly an axial sectional view on the line II' II in FIG. 1 and partly an axial sectional view on the line II"-II" in FIG. 1 of the upper half part of said machine,

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of the second embodiment of the machine,

FIG. 4, an elevational view of said second embodiment,

FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view on the line VV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 6, a cross-sectional view on the line VI-VI in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, an elevational view of a disc having ellipseshaped ribs and grooves.

The machine of the vane-type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of a stationary housing 1 which forms the first main part of the machine, a circle-cylindric second main part 3 attached to a shaft 2 which is mounted for rotation in said housing and end-shields 4 which close the housing 1 at its end faces. The second main part 3 is provided at its circumference with axial grooves 5, in which vanes 6 in the form of rods or tubes are provided. The second main part 3 and the first main part or the housing 1 define, together with rings 7 mounted in the housing 1 and held in their places by the end-shields 4, the Working chamber 8 which in the present case is divided into four separate sections, of which only the sections 8' and 8" are shown in FIG. 1.

The housing 1 is provided with axial grooves 9 having each a rectangular radial cross-sectional area and being angularly spaced at angles of said grooves being open towards the working chamber 8. Provided in said grooves are radially adjustable axial vanes 10 which are adapted to be fixed in the adjusted positions and to keep, together with the vanes 6 of the second main part 3, the sections 8, 8", etc. of the working chamber separated from one another. These sections of the working chamber are alternately connected by openings 11', 11", etc. of the rings 7 with passages 12, 12", etc. provided in one of the end-shields 4 for the supply and the discharge of gaseous or liquid medium, respectively. For the adjustment of the vanes 10 and holding the same in the adjusted position cylinder spaces 13 are made in these vanes, in which pistons 14 connected to the housing 1 are provided. Liquid under pressure is supplied to the cylinder spaces 13 or discharged from said spaces through passages 15.

For guiding the vanes 6 of the second main part deformable annular elements are provided beyond the end planes of the working chamber 8. Each one of said elements consist of radially movable plates 17 inserted in radial slots 16 of the rings 7 and of deformable concentric guiding strips 18, 19 which interconnect said plates. The plates 17 are each provided with a groove 20, which is engaged by an axially projecting rib 21 of a vane of the housing 1, so that the plates 17 are positively coupled with the vanes 10 and are adjusted together with same, which results in a deformation of the guiding strips 18, 19. Provided in the plates 17 are grooves 22 which together with the slots defined by the guiding strips 18, 19 form a deformable annular groove 23. The vanes 6 of the second main part 3 are cut away along end portions of predetermined length and they engage with the thus formed end portions the annular grooves 23, so that these vanes are guided during the rotation of the second main part 3 in the housing 1. The vanes 6 may be formed also as tubes or as plates provided with axially projecting end portions.

The reliable seal between the sections of the working chamber is obtained by the accurate construction and fitting of the first main part or the housing 1, the vanes 10, the second main part 3, the vanes 6, the rings 7 and the end-shields 4. All these parts have substantially circlecylindric interfitting surfaces so that they can be easily constructed with great accuracy. The deformable annular elements 17, 18, 19 do not require a great accuracy and since they are mechanically loaded only slightly by the vanes 6 said annular elements 17, 18, 19 may be advantageously made of synthetic material, such as nylon or Teflon. may be used for this purpose.

In FIGS. 3-7 relating to the second embodiment of the invention the same reference numerals are used for indicating parts corresponding to those of the machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this second embodiment the deformable annular elements include radially movable plates 17 which are interconnected by the deformable concentric guiding strips 18, 19 and project with portions 25 through radial slots 16 of the rings 7. T urnable discs 26 are provided axially outside the rings 7 for the radial adjustment of the vanes 10 of the housing 1 and the plates 17 of the annular elements 17, 18, 19. These turnable discs 26 are provided with toothed segments 27, which are meshing with pinions 29 attached to a shaft 28 which is mounted for rotary adjustment in the housing 1 and adapted to be turned from the outside. The discs 26 comprise on their sides facing the plates 17 unround grooves 30 and ribs 31 which form parts of ellipses (FIG. 7). These grooves 30 and ribs 31 engage corresponding ellipse-shaped ribs 32 and grooves 33, respectively, which are formed on the axially outwards directed faces of the portions 25 of the plates 17 which project through the slots 16 of the rings 7. If the discs 26 are turned by means of the shaft 28 the two vanes 10 of one pair of diametrically opposite vanes will be moved radially outwards and the two vanes 10 of the other pair of diametrically opposite vanes will be moved radially inwards. The discs 26 hold the plates 17, 25 and the vanes 10 in their adjusted positions against movement in both radial directions.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable machine of the vane type, comprising two relatively rotatable concentric main parts, end-shields attached to the end faces of the first one of said main parts, a working chamber being defined by said main parts and said end-shields, an even number of equiangu- Also other materials, such as sinter-materials,

larly spaced radially movable vanes provided on said first main part and dividing the working chamber into sections, said vanes being adapted to be fixed in adjusted positions, equiangularly spaced radially movable vanes provided on the second one of said main parts and cooperating with the vanes of the first main part to separate the sections of the working space from one another, each vane of the first main part having a curved working surface facing the working chamber, the length of are through which said working surface extends and the angular distance of the vanes of the second main part being so designed as to guarantee that in each relative angular position of the two main parts and in each radial position of the vanes of the main parts each vane of the first main part is contacted by at least one vane of the second main part, ports for the supply and ports for the discharge of the working fluid, the sections of the working chamber being alternately provided with a supply port and a discharge port, deformable guide members for guiding the vanes of the second main part in their course :between the vanes of the first main part during the relative rotation of the two main parts, said guide members interconnecting the vanes of the first main part, deformable guiding strips, radially extending plates, said strips being provided outside the ends of the working chamber and extending between and being connected with said plates, said plates attached to the end faces of the vanes of the first main part, deformable annular grooves, said strips and said plates constituting together said deformable guide members and defining together said annular grooves at the ends of the working chamber and portions of the vanes of the second main part which project axially from the working chamber and engage said deformable annular grooves.

2. An adjustable machine of the vane type as claimed in claim 1, in which the guiding strips and the radially extending plates form together integral members made of synthetic material.

3. An adjustable machine of the vane type as claimed in claim 1, in which the guiding strips and the radially extending plates form together integral members made of sintered material.

4. An adjustable machine of the vane type as claimed in claim 1, comprising in addition unround curved ribs separated by grooves, said ribs and grooves being provided on the axially outwards facing surfaces of said radially extending plates, turnable discs positioned axially outside said plates and concentrically to the main parts, corresponding grooves and ribs provided on the surfaces of said discs facing said plates, the ribs and grooves of the discs engaging the grooves and ribs of the plates, and means to adjust the discs from the outside in required angular positions in respect of the first main part.

5. An adjustable machine of the vane type as claimed in claim 4, in which the ribs and the grooves of the plates and the discs form parts of ellipses.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 145,671 12/73 Maxon 91l23 2,016,315 10/35 Calzoni 103l20 2,356,915 8/44 Brewster 103136 2,368,223 1/45 Kendrick 103-120 2,535,267 1 2/50 Cline 103l20 2,538,194 1/51 Ferris 103120 2,631,544 3/53 Wilcox 103l20 2,673,448 3/54 Wheeler 103120 2,842,064 7/58 Wahlmark 103120 DQNLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE MACHINE OF THE VANE TYPE, COMPRISING TWO RELATIVELY ROTATABLE CONCENTRIC MAIN PARTS, END-SHIELDS ATTACHED TO THE END FACES OF THE FIRST ONE OF SAID MAIN PARTS, A WORKING CHAMBER BEING DEFINED BY SAID MAIN PARTS AND SAID END-SHIELDS, AN EVEN NUMBER OF EQUIANGULARLY SPACED RADIALLY MOVABLE VANES PROVIDED ON SAID FIRST MAIN PART AND DIVIDING THE WORKING CHAMBER INTO SECTIONS, SAID VANES BEING ADAPTED TO BE FIXED IN ADJUSTED POSITIONS, EQUIANGULARLY SPACED RADIALLY MOVABLE VANES PROVIDED ON THE SECOND ONE OF SAID MAIN PARTS AND COOPERATING WITH THE VANE OF THE FIRST MAIN PART TO SEPARATE THE SECTIONS OF THE WORKING SPACE FROM ONE ANOTHER, EACH VANE OF THE FIRST MAIN PART HAVING A CURVED WORKING SURFACE FACING THE WORKING CHAMBER, THE LENGTH OF ARC THROUGH WHICH SAID WORKING SURFACE EXTENDS AND THE ANGULAR DISTANCE OF THE VANES OF THE SECOND MAIN PART BEING SO DISIGNED AS TO GUARANTEE THAT IN EACH RELATIVE ANGULAR POSITION OF THE TWO MAIN PARTS AND IN EACH RADIAL POSITION OF THE VANES OF THE MAIN PARTS EACH VANE OF THE FIRST MAIN PART IS CONTACTED BY AT LEAST ONE VANE OF THE 